How much RAM does an Enshrouded dedicated server need?

An idle Enshrouded server uses around 4.4 GB, and each additional player adds roughly 100 MB, so a full 16-player server only consumes about 6 GB in raw player terms. Because developed worlds and base building push memory higher, 12-16 GB is the recommended provisioning for an active 8-16 player world - 16 GB gives comfortable headroom.

How many players can an Enshrouded server hold?

The Enshrouded dedicated server currently supports a maximum of 16 players. There is no higher tier; if your community is larger you run multiple servers.

What CPU and storage does an Enshrouded server need?

The recommended target for a full 16-player server is an Intel Core i7 at 3.7 GHz or equivalent AMD, with 8 cores and 16 threads. Storage should be at least 30 GB of SSD - the world streams from disk, so SSD (ideally NVMe) matters.

How much bandwidth does an Enshrouded server use?

Plan for roughly 2 Mbit/sec of upload capacity per player, with download capacity roughly matching. For a full 16-player server that is around 32 Mbit/sec up, which is why home-hosting a large Enshrouded world strains a typical residential connection.

Can I self-host an Enshrouded server?

Yes. The server installs via SteamCMD and is a standard headless build. Self-hosting is fine for small groups, but the 2 Mbit/player upload and the need for 24/7 uptime push most larger communities toward rented hardware.

server requirements

Enshrouded Dedicated Server in 2026: Requirements, Setup, Host Options

Enshrouded's server is lighter on RAM than the host marketing suggests, but the 16-player cap and the per-player bandwidth are the real planning constraints. Here are the honest numbers, the SteamCMD setup, and when to self-host versus rent.

Published 2026-06-20

Real hardware requirements

Enshrouded's voxel world streams from disk and rebuilds terrain as players dig and build, so the load profile is a mix of CPU for the simulation, SSD for the streaming, and a surprisingly modest RAM footprint. The official recommended specs for a full server:

Resource	Recommended (16 players)
RAM	12-16 GB for a developed world (raw player use is far lower - see below)
CPU	Intel Core i7 3.7 GHz or AMD equivalent, 8 cores / 16 threads
Storage	30 GB+ SSD (NVMe preferred)
Network	~2 Mbit/sec upload per player
Player cap	16 (hard maximum)

The RAM math (it is less than you think)

This is where a lot of host plans oversell. An idle Enshrouded server uses around 4.4 GB, and each connected player adds only about 100 MB. Do the arithmetic and a full 16-player server is consuming roughly 6 GB in pure player terms.

So why is 16 GB the common recommendation? Because the number that actually grows is the world, not the headcount. As players explore further and build larger, more of the voxel map is active and memory demand climbs above the base calculation. The honest guidance:

Small group, fresh world - 8 GB is genuinely enough.
8-16 players, developed world - 12-16 GB, with 16 GB giving headroom to avoid slowdowns and crashes during heavy sessions.

If a host is charging a premium for a "32 GB Enshrouded plan," they are selling you headroom you will not use. The cap is 16 players and the engine does not eat RAM the way ARK or a modded Minecraft server does.

The 16-player cap and bandwidth

Two ceilings define how you plan an Enshrouded community:

The player cap is 16, full stop. There is no higher tier and no clustering for Enshrouded - if your group is bigger than 16, you run a second server with its own world. That is a real constraint for large communities and worth knowing before you build a Discord around one world.

Bandwidth, not RAM, is the home-hosting killer. At roughly 2 Mbit/sec upload per player, a full 16-player server wants around 32 Mbit/sec of upload, with download capacity roughly matching. Most residential connections have far less upload than download, which is exactly the asymmetry that makes a busy self-hosted Enshrouded world stutter for everyone but the host.

Setup via SteamCMD

The Enshrouded dedicated server is a standard headless build installed through SteamCMD. The flow is the usual one: install SteamCMD, pull the dedicated-server app, edit the JSON config (server name, password, player slots), open the UDP game ports, and launch. On Windows you can run the server executable directly; on Linux it runs under Proton/Wine layers that most managed hosts handle for you.

For the current config keys, port numbers, and the supported player-slot range, the developer's own recommended server specifications page is the authoritative source and is kept current with patches.

Self-host or rent

Enshrouded is one of the more self-host-friendly survival games on the RAM front, but the bandwidth ceiling tilts the decision:

Self-host if you are a small group (under ~6 players), you have a decent upload connection, and you do not mind being the uptime. The modest RAM footprint means a spare PC handles it easily.
Rent if you want a full 16-player world, 24/7 uptime, and the upload headroom a datacenter provides. The per-player bandwidth is the single best argument for paid hosting here - it is the thing a home connection cannot fake.

We rate hosts on evidence, not affiliation. For how Enshrouded's needs stack up against other survival games, see our RAM, CPU and disk sizing guide, and for the hosting-model decision see dedicated box vs VPS vs cloud.